Nude high heels make you look thinner

Further evidence has revealed that women look thinner when wearing nude high heels.

Retailer Debenhams has found that a pair of nude high heels can create the illusion of having dropped a dress size. When asked to guess the dress size of the same woman in two images, people shown the image of her wearing nude high heels gave an average of one dress size smaller than those shown a picture of her without the shoes on.

Earlier this year we reported on Kim Kardashian’s clever use of the leg-lengthening effect of skin-toned heels (see Kim Kardashian’s high heel secret). Other celebrity women who have embraced nude high heels include Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham, Beyonce Knowles, Alesha Dixon, Jessie J, Sarah Jessica Parker and most recently Ed Miliband’s wife Justine.

Best use of the technique combines a number of tricks to give the impression of lengthened legs and tighter thighs, while pushing out the torso which flattens the stomach. For best results, follow these tips:

Colour: choose a nude coloured shoe which matches your skin tone. This works as an extension of the leg.

Platforms: these should be concealed and should have at least a centimetre in depth to ensure maximum lengthening.

Heel width: thick heels draw the eye and break the illusion, so stiletto heels are recommended.

Ankle straps: these should be avoided at all costs as they appear to cut legs short and make them look wider.

Good luck with your diet in a shoe!

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Image credit: the high heels pictured at the top of this article are Whistle by Chinese Laundry. They’ve got a 1 inch hidden platform and a 4 1/2 inch heel. The shoes are available from heels.com for $69.99.